Stepping into the unknown

[Raab]

Holla gents

 

So the time has come for me to take my personal fitness to a new level (call it a late new year's resolution)and thus I have decided to start doing a few sprint distance tri's this year and hopefully build-up to longer events next year. So I need some advise from the more experiences tri athletes: where to start?

 

I am in decent shape (cycle about 80km's every weekend and do a lot of other sports in between) but I do not know what to expect.

 

So here is my gameplan for the time being:

At the moment I know I am not a strong swimmer, so I had a chat with a swimming coach to help improve my strokes and basic shape in the water. So the plan is to train my swimming pretty hard until I can swim 800 meters without too much discomfort.

 

Any suggestions regarding training and equipement?

 

Shot

[The Saint]

Right coming from someone whose only tri has been Half Iron Man here goes.

 

Swimming is the easy bit you will pick it up pretty quick with only one or two lessons you will be doing a lot farther than 800 meters within a few weeks.

 

Up your riding a bit to 100K rides and include a brick run after at least one of the rides.

 

Running is the key to a good tri. If you can't run you are stuffed and this you will learn very quickly after your first tri. Running should form as much as two thirds of your training program. Brick runs are also key to getting your body used to running after the cycle. Take a few swims in a lake or river to get used to orienteering yourself.

 

As for equipment, do one or two triathlons first if you enjoy it then start looking at dropping some cash, until then just do each discipline in whatever kit you have.

 

Hope this helps

[Garfield2010]

Its all about pacing. As the Saint rightly said do not burn yourself on the bike or else you will feel it on the run........

 

You seem to be a strong biker....

 

My advise:-

 

Work very hard at your swim & running. Remember, the cycle on sprint distance is normally draft legal. So it someone like you can get out in a good possision on the swim, you should be able to easily hang in the group on the bike and then give it all on the run and you should be OK.

[Justin]

Also, don't think 800m in the pool will cover you for a 400m swim in the Vaal!

 

Swimming in a river or dam is a lot harder, especially while getting elbows and angles in the face the whole time and having to lift your head to see if you are still going in the right direction (they don't paint neat lines at the bottom of the rivers for swimmers to follow ).

 

Practice the transitions as well. Your body goes into shock between the swimming, cycling and jogging transitions.

 

I have to agree about the kit. Do a couple of races with the kit you have.

[Seeker911]

All sounds far too familiar.

 

1. Get yourself a dvd called "total immersion" freestyle made easy. Sit back relax watch the video a few times and practise the drills in the water. Local cost about R450. US cost about $10 + 2 week wait.

2. Get decent running shoes and start running. Take it VERY slow in the beginning if you are NOT a runner. The world is not going to end this March.

3. Speak to Maryke Verster maryke.verster87@gmail.com get a training programme worked out.

4. You must have a heart rate monitor. Any will do as long as it is water resistant, reliable and gives an almost instant reading especially when doing interval training. Do a bit of internet browsing and make sure you are training in the right heart rate zone.

5. The most important thing is to enjoy yourself.

6. Dont spend too much on bling until you are sure tri is what you want to do. This can be a very expensive sport.

[RaeTrewBrowne]

How fast do you want to do the Sprint distance?

 

your training is specific to the pace you want to hold in the race, if you want to blitz it in under 60 minutes you will need a lot of low distance, high pace training! 400m in the Vaal is not going to be be difficult, you wont need to do more than 1000m 3 times a week. Have one of those 1000m swim session as a speed session (200m slow warm-up; 7 x 100m fast; 100m slow swim-down). this will be more than enough for your swim fitness.

 

You wont need to cycle more than 80k's as you longest ride, add a 40k ride in during the week (20k warm-up; 10k TT at 75 - 80%; 10k easy cool-down)

 

The Brick Session is your most important session of the week/cycle as it simulates what you will experience on race day, getting your body used to this feeling will help you get fast off the bike. You can either run off your long bike (try hit at least an 8k on your brick run) or off one of the shorter rides in the week (if you have the time). Running off the long bike will make you strong for the run in the race as it wont be more than 20k's. Together with your other runs you will need one quality session in a week, something like 5 x 2 minute fartleks or 8 x 400m at a running track will work well, just make sure you are nice and warmed up before attempting the speed.

 

Something to keep in mind for race day, the last 5 - 10 minutes of your bike leg go 2 gears lighter to increase your leg speed, this will get your body used to the increased foot turn-over on the run so you won't need 2k's to adjust to the different tempo. (this really does work!)

 

hope this helps!

[RaeTrewBrowne]

Equipment wise - keep your road bike this will be more than fine, a Profile Design ZBS tri bar will work well for a more aerodynamic posture on the bike and they are short enough to pass any of the strict rules you usually get in your Sprint/Olympic Distance tri's.

 

You definitely wont need a wetsuit!! that will be a waist for 400m, a one piece tri suit or just a pair of tri shorts (PLEASE NNNOOO SPEEDO!! ) will be sufficient for the swim (you can put your top on when you put your shoes etc on in transition as it will create drag in the water).

 

that's all that you will need, oh and a decent pair of running shoes! depending on your budget, I am an Asics fan myself but i hear good things about the Nike Lunar Glide!

[Tankman]

 

Any suggestions regarding training and equipement?

 

 

For swimming, you will need water, lots of water!

[Tubehunter]

Research Total Immersion swimming! Think there is a TI coach based up in JHB. She does weekend workshops that will take you from not being able to do anything, to completely making over your swimming.

 

I've bought the books and DVDs and had to self teach. The program is sound!!!!

[rudi-h]

Whooh, these guys are making it sound over the top.

 

My 2c: (only applies to sprint distance before I get hammered by the IM guys)

 

1) Swimming: Open water swim to me is no harder than swimming in a pool, in fact, I have had my best swims during competition in open water... It takes some time to get comfortable in the "washing machine", but just start at the back if you're not sure.

2) Running: If you have reasonable base fitness and you can run the required distance comfortably, then you can do the run at the end of a tri in very close to the same time as you would do it running only while training...

3) Cycling: As opposed to some of the other advice, I spend most time cycling. cycling is roughly 50% of the time of a tri, so although you don't win a tri based on your cycling performance, it is very important IMO. Your distance is fine, but do some intervals for the speed you need on the sprints.

4) Pacing: On a sprint tri, I find that I can red-line from the start, so I don't hold back on the bike and normally make it to the end (albeit completely broken). In longer distances, let your HRM do the pacing.

5) Gear: Only basics required initially. First tri I did with a cheap pair of swimming goggles, running shoes and an MTB. If you like it (which I'm sure you'll do) you can get everything you need as your budget allows: A tri suit, then a wetsuit, new shoes, new swimming goggles and eventually you'll have a garage full of stuff.

 

Most of all, enjoy it, you won't look back!

[Jongozi]

One other way you can do this.

Bite your lip, enter for an Ultra distance, and try to finish it.

If you do, you will know all you need to know about taking on the sprint distances, and the best. part of it all will be that suddenly the sprint distances will seem like a fresh afternoon spring mountain breeze.

This approach is not for the faint hatred.....